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(MOdBL') G. W. BALLARD.

FASTENING FOR SAMPLE E NVELOPES.

Patented May 23, 11882.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES a;

ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS. FhohrLflhugraphen Washington. D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES W. BALLARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENING FOR SAMPLE ENVELOPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,348, dated May 23 1882. 7 Application filed August 6,1881. (ModeL) To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I CHARLES W. BALLARD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fastening 5 for Sample Envelopes, of which the following veniently, which can be used repeatedly without injury to the envelope or the fastening, allld, finally, which cannot be opened accidenta y.

Theinvention consistsin alongitudinal metal strip provided with an open hook at its upper end, a closed hook at its lower end, and a projecting metal tongue opposite the lower end of the open hook, which strip is secured on theloack of the envelope, the perforated flap of which is hooked 011 the open hook.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a sample envelope provided with my improved fastener. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of the same, showing the flap raised on theline mm, Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a modification, showing the flap closed on the line a: m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the detached metallic strip.

The end fiap, A, of an envelope, B, is thickened and strengthened by doubling over the paper at the end of this flap and pasting it on the inner surface of this flap; or the flap can be strengthened or thickened by pasting on a detached piece of paper or in some other suitable manner. This flap A is provided with a perforation or aperture, 0, near. its end or outer edge, a longitudinal metal strip, 1), provided with an open hook, E, at its upper end, and a closed hook or tongue, F, at its lower end, and a tongue, G, opposite to the end of the upper hook, E, is secured in the back of the envelope B in such a manner that the flap A can be turned down over the hook E, which can be passed into the aperture 0. The strip D is punched out in such a manner, that tongues E, F, and G, at right angles to the same, will he formed at the ends and a short distance from the upper end, as shown in Fig. 4. This strip is passed into the inside of the envelope, and the tongues are forced through the back of this envelope; and at the'same time the upper tongue, E, is bent over downward to form the open hook E, and the lower tougue,F, is bent down flat on the back of the envelope to form the closed hook F, which holds the stripD to the envelope. The tongue Gpreferably remains erect, as shown in Fig. 2, but can be bent down to assist holding the strip on the envelope, as shown in Fig. 3.

If the envelope is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, it can only be opened if the flap Ais raised against the under side of the hook E and then pushed downward, and it is evident that this flap cannot be opened accidentally, for if the flap is only pushed down, but not properly raised,'it will strike the tongue G and cannot be opened.

The envelope can be opened and closed very rapidly and conveniently without bending and twisting anypart-s.

This envelope is especially designed for samples, documents, printed matter, &c., which must be examined by the post-office oflieials, and this examination is greatly facilitated by this envelope.

The envelope can be made of any suitable material. Theflap will remain closed, even if the tongue G is folded down; but the fastening will be better if the tongue Gr remains raised.

The hook may be fastened in the flap and the back of the envelope may be pertoratedthat is, the construction shown may be reversed.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with an envelope, B, pro

vided with a perforated flap, A, of a metal strip, D, provided with an open book, E, a closed hook, F, and a tongue, G, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

CHAS. W. BALLARD.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, O. SEDGWIGK. 

